Walking 45 Degrees to the earth- The Satelite view

Getting a lot of airtime in the news but not a lot of real thought or reporting is the current drama in the Middle East. We hear the talking heads giving us the latest on what country is convulsing to throw off their tyrant-leader of the moment but do not really hear a lot of what this momentous change in the middle east is going to do to the rest of the world. Oh sure, you hear all about how it may affect gas prices or our relationships with them in the short term but curiously you don't hear much at all about the long term picture. I listen every day and haven't really heard anyone discussing this in any substantial or meaningful way.

This is the age of the 12 second sound bite. If you can't read it, write it or say it in 12 seconds, it don't matter because no one will pay attention long enough to read it or hear it anyway. Long term news reporting , which analyzes the ongoing prospect of a news story, has been pretty much relegated to policy papers and magazines. More Journalists are writing books every day. Less and Less of them are actually covering news.

Here are some of the stories they are not telling at the moment that you won't really hear because nobody is asking the questions. What I cannot for the life of me figure out is why we aren't asking them and why this stuff doesn't make the cut ? We'll watch American Idol until we know everyone's names and we've run the phone bill up $250 dollars voting on Dancing with the Stars, but could care less and pay no attention to real reality ? Do you really think that a reality TV show is actual reality ? I wonder how long any woman would actually date and then marry a schmuck who made them wade though 12 other women while he makes up his mind which one he wants?

It boggles the mind.

9 million paragraphs about Charlie (Loser Tiger Blood) Sheen.

Not one about the future reality of what is happening right now?? No news stories about the causalities of war and 28 half hour long interviews to say why he (Sheen) should make more money.

Something is wrong with this picture.

Why the hell would I care who wins the money at the end of the TV show called Survivor? Real life gets in the way. Its called "Make your mortgage payment" and "Keep your Job". There's a reality show for you. Wake up. Here's some stuff I'd kinda like to know.

1. What kind of governments will replace the ones being thrown out by their citizens? For the most part the governing systems being abandoned are dictatorships and Oligarchies, and also for the most part individuals or families are being replaced as the heads of state.
2. What is in our best interests to have as heads of states in those countries?
3. Will any of these people be allies once it is all said and done?
4. What countries are vulnerable to this kind of chaos? Will we see this in Lebanon, Saudi Arabia or Syria ?
5. Will this fervor extend out of the middle east into countries like Myanmar or North Korea?
6. Are the countries going through these changes currently at war with anybody else? If so what are their military capabilities?
7. Is it going to be necessary to involve the military in any of those conflicts? If so in what role? Policeman ? Peacekeeper ? Combatant ? Buffer Force? Why hasn't this been discussed in the media ?
8. What elements of this chaos spreading through the middle east are going to translate into change in the areas where we would like to see it? Will this affect China ? or Iran ?
9. What happens if demonstrations break out in China for example (or others) and they respond by using the military to squash it, in the process killing thousands of people? Is there a legitimate response ? What should we do ?
10. What good does it do to employ sanctions against a country like Iran or North Korea? Why do we do it?
11. Now that is has been declared a part of free speech to demonstrate at a military funeral when a burying a loved one who dies in service to his country, How long before somebody snaps and starts shooting at these idiots ? I can see "Uncle LeRoy" with his pistols, gun rack and long rifle just lose it and shoot some of these idiots. How wrong can we really be ? I cannot believe I actually sided with Samuel Alito on something. What is this world coming to ? Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. was the lone dissenter in a Supreme Court case last week that ruled the First Amendment protects hateful protests at military funerals. The case was brought by the family of a Marine killed in Iraq whose funeral was the target of protesters carrying signs with messages like“America is Doomed” and “God Hates Fags.” (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/weekinreview/06fightingwords.html)
12. The question is not "Will Jared Loughner get the death penalty?", the questions actually is "How long will it take us to Kill Jared Loughner, once his death penalty is affirmed?". Personally , I don't know. Only way to answer that would be to move the trial to Texas. Then the answer would be "Wednesday 6:30 pm, in the Express Lane."(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/05/earlyshow/saturday/main20039634.shtml)
13. Gasoline is now over $3.50 per Gallon. Why aren't we raising holy hell about it ?

This is just things that come to mind.

Can anybody shed some light on this at all ?

Man I am pissed.

-Thankx - BigMike

Observations from a forty five degree angle

Several things make me go whatever today and a few of them make me want to find the blathering idiots who propagate it and Gibbs-Smack them.

Like I care what happens or if this is read, but this is what I think.

Mostly is sorta like WTF dude?

• Charlie Sheen sets new world record for Twitter ? And somehow he gets paid for his nonsense? Listen I don't begrudge any body any money for anything they have done to earn it, but being paid because you have a twitter account ? Are you serious? Yet another reason I'll probably never have a twitter account is because I can't stand the shorthand they use and I could care less what happens to (Insert Name - Famous Person) let alone Charlie Sheen. His TV show has always been a microcosm of him and somehow they found his recent behavior offensive? These guys must be idiots. Have you ever listened to him talk - at all ? He speaks just like every other over privileged, pampered , actor/singer/rock star/model does who has enough money to treat other people stupidly and act as immature as they want to without facing the consequences for his actions. Give me a break. Those TV guys are just pissed off because he is yakking about them . Who gives a rats ass ? Oh and John Stamos in his part on the show ? Can you say "cancelled" ? I knew that you could. And by the way - He is not in Rehab at home. He is at home being coddled by his entourage. He will never be in Rehab unless and until he is sentenced to it in a prison somewhere. Get over yourself.

• A BYU athlete gets disciplined for having extra marital sex and then admitting it under the schools honor code? This is listed under a story about Charlie Sheen on a google list. I see the irony here, don't you? He is kicked off the basketball team, may not be able to remain in school and is under review because he admitted to sexual relations with his girlfriend. Sounds like he needed a big brother. One that can teach him to lie successfully. A good idea to have an honor code I guess, but I don't get the point of kicking him out of school or off the team. I wonder how it came up on conversation with school officials anyway....... "Say Brandon, you still a virgin, right?".

• One friggin permit has been issued for drilling in the Gulf. One. How long must the workers suffer? Spare me the environmental nonsense. One year from now the same methods they use right now will be used to drill the next set of wells. Virtually nothing will change until the last spill is litigated, so nobody will demonstrate culpability because of change. The workers will not work and the economy will continue to suffer though. What the hell is the point ? One friggin permit. One. I can't believe they think we are this stupid.

• Lou Dobbs is back on TV with a new FOX show (and I still don't care- MUTE BUTTON)

• A new IPAD came out tod.......(Boring )

• John Cryer got a new gig. (http://www.businessinsider.com/charlie-sheen-jon-cryer-cbs-ellen-degeneres-video-2011-3) This guy is the funny one. If you don't know he is the brother from Two and a half men.

• Chuck Lorre is an idiot !! ( http://www.popeater.com/2011/03/01/chuck-lorre-i-am-so-outta-here/ ) What ? Are we twelve and have any of these morons ever heard of a PR department. And Charlie is crazy ? WTF Dude? This is just another rich TV dude who has more money than he does sense. Oh and BTW - he's the exec producer of Two and a Half men I think.

See ya'll later - Bigmike